Mount Aloysius College Proud of All-Sportsmanship Team

Posted on: December 12, 2013

The Allegheny Mountain Collegiate Conference (AMCC) released the list of All-Sportsmanship Team performers for this past fall season. The Mounties placed seven student-athletes on the list, one for each sport. These Mount Aloysius College student-athletes—by consensus of their coaches and teammates—embody the Mercy values of justice, hospitality, mercy and service.

Junior Mountie golfer Dylan Link (Ebensburg, PA/Bishop Carroll) and sophomore tennis player Loreal Housler (St. Mary’s, PA/Elk County Catholic) received All-Sportsmanship awards in their respective sports. Both sports require players to behave as gentlemen or ladies. The awards prove that nice men and women can finish as 1st-Team AMCC All-Conference.

In men’s and women’s cross-country, senior Nicole Binnie (Butler, PA/Knoch) showed each and every meet the value of “just being out there” as she competed while enduring the pain of fibromyalgia. On the men’s side, sophomore Nicholas Frank (Cresson, PA/Penn Cambria) showed what it meant to be a great teammate by pushing the Mounties top runner every day.

For team sports, women’s volleyball had a rare freshman representative in Laura Trude (Winburne, PA/West Branch). Trude stood out to her teammates and opponents for her encouragement to teammates and consistent hard work. Women’s soccer also had a freshman. They selected their starting goalkeeper from London, England—Zara Apakoh. Ms. Apakoh never spoke an ill-word to her teammates despite playing a position that often gives one the power to chastise others. Men’s soccer stayed true to form. Their All-Sportsmanship Team member was once again senior, two-time captain, Ryan Hills (Dubois, PA/Brockway). Hills has been steadfast in his commitment to the men’s team through rebuilding seasons that led them to their first-ever playoff appearance and first-ever playoff win this season.

One of the great rewards for coaching at Mount Aloysius College athletics is that all the fall sports coaches know they have numerous candidates for the All-Sportsmanship Team awards. This year these excellent seven deservedly and admirably represented the Mounties this past fall.